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Hydration
WATER,
WATER, WATER,
Bring PLENTY of water,
don`t count on any water sources in the area. Three quarts minimum but I would
recommend 4 quarts per person. If you get dehydrated that`s bad news and it
takes a lot of the fun out of the hike. It`s only a couple extra pounds,
TAKE IT ALONG. I figure 8oz.
per 20 minutes, however this is just a rule of thumb and you may require more.
If you feel thirsty it is already too late. Hydrate yourself a couple of days
in advance of your hike, drink water to build your system up. Pound some before
hitting the trail.
I can`t stress this enough.
Water is everything.
HEAT
EXHAUSTION
Hot
Temperatures, humidity, physical activity is a recipe for heat illness. When you can`t keep your body cool
through sweating, serious illnesses can happen. The most severe being heat
exhaustion and heat stroke. If the warning signs are not heeded then heat
exhaustion could lead to heat stroke and quite possibly be
fatal.
Symptoms
Headache, dizzy,
light-headed, weak, moody, irritable, confusion, not thinking straight, upset
stomach, vomiting, urine output is low and dark, fainting passing out, clammy
skin.
- Actions To Be
Taken
Act immediately to avoid heat
stroke or possible death
- Place the person in a cool place
in a shaded area away from the sun and keep the person company.
- If the person is dizzy or
light-headed lay them on their back, raising the legs six to eight inches.
If they feel sick to their stomach lay them on their side.
- Loosen heavy bulky clothes and
remove.
- Have them drink a cup of cool
water every 15 minutes unless they are sick to their stomach.
- Fanning along with spraying a
mist of water onto the person or apply a cool wet cloth to the
skin.
- GET HELP IF symptoms do not
improve within a few minutes.
HEAT
STROKE
Symptoms
Pale dry
skin with no sweating, hot and skin that resembles a sunburn, moody, irritable,
confusion, not thinking straight, seizures and and fits, unconsciousness with
no response.
- Actions To Be
Taken
GET HELP!
- Place the person in a cool place
in a shaded area away from the sun and do not leave them alone
- Move objects that are near the
person if seizures or fits are present. If they feel sick to their stomach lay
them on their side.
- Loosen heavy bulky clothes and
remove.
- Have them drink a cup of cool
water every 15 minutes (if they are alert) unless they are sick to their
stomach.
- Fanning, along with spraying a
mist of water onto the person or apply a cool wet cloth to the
skin.
- Place ice packs under the armpits
and groin area
- Protect
Yourself
- Learn the Symptoms
- Teach yourself and others about
heat sickness
- Drink plenty of water, at least
8oz every twenty minutes whether your thirsty or not.
- Wear loose fitting
clothes.
- Take breaks in the
shade.
- Don`t gorge on large meals before
exercise.
- NO alcohol or caffeine. Doing any
of these make the body lose water.
- When taking any MEDICATIONS
be sure to check with your physician or Pharmacist to see if they will effect
your expose to hot environments.
WATER
TREATMENT
There are numerous ways to
protect yourself from all the Protozoa and Bacteria that are hanging out in
your water.
Protozoa causes most water related sicknesses. Protoza, a
single cell parasitic microorganism, (5 tp 15 microns) has a protective shell
that make them very resistant to iodine so removal by filtration is the way to
go.
Bacteria is smaller than protozoan cysts 0.0 to 10microns but just as
nasty, however with proper treatment can be removed.
Giardiasis (GEE-are-DYE-uh-sis) being one of the
nasty creatures.
has quite the vivid description as to what this is all about.
Personally I would treat any water I drink on the trail. From pills to
drops to handheld purifiers there is no excuse not to treat your water.
I
use the MSR MiniWorks, it screws on top of my wide mouth Nagene and put the
hose into the water source and pump it slowly for a 100 or so times and you
have a nice safe quart of water.
WEBSITES
TO GUIDE YOU
The water consumption calculator is pretty cool
An
Interesting site with all sorts of calculators to test
yourself.
SOURCES:
Occupational
Safety & Health Administration
200 Constitution Avenue,
NW
Washington, DC 20210
WEBMD
The Weather
Channel
EMS.com
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A passage
from WEBMD.COM
this is an awesome website for anything.
It's easy to get dehydrated, especially if you're
physically active. Run low on H20 and you'll feel tired and run-down.
Unfortunately, you can't depend on feeling thirsty to know when you need water.
By the time you're parched, your body is already far short of the water it
requires for peak performance. Drinking plenty of water is especially important
if you're over 60. Medications like blood pressure drugs can impair your
ability to regulate fluid balance. What's more, thirst sensation decreases with
age. How much is enough? At least six 12-ounce glasses of water a day, experts
say. If you're exercising in hot weather, you'll need even more. You can sweat
as much as half a gallon an hour, says David Nieman, an assistant professor of
health promotion at Appalachian State University in North Carolina and author
of "Fitness and Your Health." People over 70 should drink eight glasses a day,
say researchers at Tufts University -- although you should check first with
your physician if you have particular health concerns or are on medication. The
best gauge of hydration is urine color, which should be very pale yellow. If
yours is darker than that, it's time to hydrate.
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